Caleb

Chapter Seven- What He Happened to Say

CIERA'S POV

“Does it change anything if I ask?” Caleb asked. I froze, thinking, and after a moment I turned to look at him, my hair tickling my knees.

“No… I don’t think it really will. I don’t really want to tell you becauseI know it won’t change anything.” I answered, my voice stone. For some reason, something felt wrong in my chest. It felt like I’d just been kicked out of every play the school will ever have.

“I-I…” He stuttered. His brows furrowed, and I looked away for a second, then, when I was sure he wasn’t looking at me anymore, I looked back. His eyes were watching the balls zoom around the room. My face softened, because I couldn’t stay angry with him. He was too… Caleb. The way his brows furrowed changed, a look of confusion falling onto his features. “What?” He asked, but I just shrugged. I couldn’t tell him that what I remembered was just him.

After he gave up asking me questions, like he usually does after a while, he just sat on the floor next to my legs.

“Caleb! Get over here!” Jason called, making both of our heads swivel toward a sad sight. Well, sad in the world of dodge ball. Caleb sighed, and moved into a position where he was sitting on his ankles, resting on the balls of his feet.

“I guess I ought to go help me team.” He looked at me, blowing his now overgrown hair out of his eyes.

“They need you more than I do right now.” More than I needed him right then. He chuckled quietly and patted my hand gently, running to rescue his team.

I watched him run off, noticing how he runs with almost a child-like gait, though his arms stayed sturdy, strongly doing their job and keeping him upright. He was so much more than Marcy saw him to be, even more than I bet Lucille used to see. When he thought, he didn’t just think about one simple tree. He saw the whole forest. When he smiled, he didn’t just smile. He lit up the room; just like how his laugh didn’t just make noise it rang beautifully out into the open space and forced other laughter to join it. Unlike other guys, but definitely like Victor, he was able to make me smile. Caleb was able to make me feel something different, feel happiness in a way it’s almost impossible to feel otherwise. Though Victor had hurt me, I’d still had feelings for him. I’d moved on (to Caleb- great decision, brain!), thankfully, but every now and then, when Victor was in trouble, he’d call me up or text me and I couldn’t help but reply. Caleb and Victor were similar, yes, but I saw many differences that out weighed the similarities. Caleb had stopped the bleeding, yet years ago Victor had caused it.

“So do you think he’s going to ask you to homecoming?” Marcy asked me the next Monday’s noon as we plopped down for lunch.

“You really think I’m going to homecoming like this?” I asked. I knew she knew I wasn’t the kind of girl to stay home from homecoming just because of an injury, but I was still curious. The face she made toward me made it clear that’s what she was thinking.

“Okay, fine. I’ll play along. Who?” I asked. I had my choices, there was always at least one person I could go with or I could just go with friends. She sent me the same look she had the second before, and I raised my eyebrows questioningly, waving my fork in response.